That figure includes more than
500 residences that were either destroyed or sustained major damage and nearly
450 homes that had minor damage, according to an AL.com report.

Rita White, director of the
Limestone County Emergency Management Agency, said it's going to be a slow
recovery process as officials work to determine the immediate needs of the
community in the coming days and weeks.

White, who plans to announce the location of a
donation center this week, said the full scope of the damage is not
yet known, but local agencies "are trying to get a number together."

"We have our public works people
working on an approximate estimate on damage to roads and utilities, which will
be a huge cost to the county," she said.

Two Coxey residents died when
their mobile home was tossed by a violent twister that swept through Billy
Barb's Court in western Limestone County. White said 17 residents were transported
to Athens-Limestone Hospital and a few others were sent to Eliza Coffee
Memorial Hospital in Florence.

If a disaster declaration is issued, White said the county
will look at hiring a contractor to assist businesses and residents with debris
removal, which is one of the county's biggest needs right now.

"If we don't get a declaration, then we have the issue of
dealing with debris," she said. "Residents would really be responsible for
their own debris removal, which puts that much more burden on the people."